PMDG 747-400 Fuel Control Cutoff Switches

[flatdog]

I have read the previous posts about fuel control switches so hope that this is not going over old ground in a post I have missed. I am using the PMDG 747 in FSX with a registered copy of FSUIPC v4.50. As far as I am aware and having tried all the obvious options, the fuel control switches do not respond to any 'stock' commands. I have successfully assigned a mouse macro to the first switch and this works perfectly. I have recorded and saved macros for 2, 3 & 4 and even though the mouse operates the correct switch all the macros operate switch 1. I have confirmed this using the tab key to test the macro before saving. All other macros for A/T, Flight Director etc work perfectly. Is this an issue with the way the guage is programmed or am I missing something?

[Pete Dowson]

I have read the previous posts about fuel control switches so hope that this is not going over old ground in a post I have missed. I am using the PMDG 747 in FSX with a registered copy of FSUIPC v4.50. As far as I am aware and having tried all the obvious options, the fuel control switches do not respond to any 'stock' commands. I have successfully assigned a mouse macro to the first switch and this works perfectly. I have recorded and saved macros for 2, 3 & 4 and even though the mouse operates the correct switch all the macros operate switch 1. I have confirmed this using the tab key to test the macro before saving. All other macros for A/T, Flight Director etc work perfectly. Is this an issue with the way the guage is programmed or am I missing something?

No, you've not missed anything.

I've had a look at this, and it appears all 4 switches call the same routine in the PMDG code. This is referenced in the Macro by "R1". I've looked at the mouse rectangle tables, and there are 4 entries for the same routine - R1, R2, R3 and R4. The trouble is there's no way I can find for FSUIPC to determine which is the 'correct' one automatically, though it can tell there's more than one choice.

I'm looking at changing the "TAB" test to show how many entries there are, and then so that each time you press TAB for the same mouse click, it looks for the next entry with a match, cycling around. Then you can find it by pressing TAB till you get the correct response -- and save that.

Meanwhile, in this particular case, you can fix it yourself by editing the Macro file. Change the R1 to R2 for engine 2, R3 for 3 and R4 for 4.

Regards

Pete

[flatdog]

Pete,

Thankyou - I will give it a go tonight and see what happens.

Philip

[Pete Dowson]

Thankyou - I will give it a go tonight and see what happens.

Well, those edits work fine here.

When I said

I'm looking at changing the "TAB" test to show how many entries there are, and then so that each time you press TAB for the same mouse click, it looks for the next entry with a match, cycling around. Then you can find it by pressing TAB till you get the correct response -- and save that.

that was before I looked at the code. I can't actually do it that way, at least not without major upheaval, so I'm doing it differently. I'm still showing when there are more than one choices (e.g. in this case as "1 of 4"), but to try the different ones you have to repeat the mouse click.

So the procedure will be (in version 4.505 or later)

1. Mouse click

2. TAB to test

3. If it works, okay -- name the macro and press Enter to move on

4. If it doesn't work, and the text shows "1 of 2" (or more), etc., click again, return to step 2.

I'll do this in FSUIPC3, for 3.905, as well.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

So the procedure will be (in version 4.505 or later)

1. Mouse click

2. TAB to test

3. If it works, okay -- name the macro and press Enter to move on

4. If it doesn't work, and the text shows "1 of 2" (or more), etc., click again, return to step 2.

I'll do this in FSUIPC3, for 3.905, as well.

Okay. Versions 4.505 and 3.905 are now available, in the Updates announcement, and they include this facility.

Pete

[flatdog]

Pete,

Brilliant - works perfectly - many thanks.

Philip

[DaveAB]

Hi Phillip/Pete, many thanks for this. I was struggling trying to do the same thing with the same results and eventually abandoned attempts. We all know PMDG is not "cockpit builder friendly" but it is superb and combined with Pete's FSUIPC, makes this one of the best.

Many thanks again Pete, release 4.505 sorts this out perfectly. :D

Cheers

Dave

[flatdog]

Dave,

I am glad to have helped indirectly. I love the PMDG 747X particularly as I have a friend who is a BA 747 Cpt. He very kindly spends a couple of hours with me every now and then showing me how things are done for real. I have been following your other thread re. macros and will be interested to see how you get on.

Regards,

Philip

[AUA144]

Hi,

just tested with 3.905, working very well, thanks a lot.

[Zangdaarr]

Hi everybody,

I am at this very moment trying to assign the fuel cutoff switches of the 747-400 PMDG Fs9 to my joystick.

The first solution decribed here doesn't work for me. My version of FSUIPC is 3.85 and I can't update my version, I don't know why, Fs tells me: "FSUIPC is too old and flight simulator will now close".

The second solution, found in another topic, is to use Offset Bytes, 3590,3594,3598,359C but it still doesn't work :(

Could you help me to solve this problem? Thanks a lot

[Pete Dowson]

My version of FSUIPC is 3.85 and I can't update my version, I don't know why, Fs tells me: "FSUIPC is too old and flight simulator will now close".

There's no message like that either in FS or in FSUIPC. And updating 3.85 to 3.90 is simply a matter of putting the later DLL into the FS Modules folder.

Please explain more carefully what the problem is. I cannot support old versions.

Pete

[Zangdaarr]

Thanks for answering so quickly,

In fact, the version problem disapeared since I re-entered my key, my version was not registered after updating. It was due to PMDG only. I now have the 3.90 version.

The first solution I found for the Fuel Control Cutoff Switches is this one:

You can do it yourself, now, by manipulating the FSUIPC offsets for the fuel valves. Referring to the "FSUIPC for Programmers" document, from the FSUIPC SDK, you'll find these offsets:

3590 Engine 1 fuel valve, 1 = open, 0 = closed

3594 Engine 2 ...

3598 Engine 3 ...

359C Engine 4 ...

In the Buttons or Keys drop-down, assign to the "Offset Byte Bet" control, offset x3590 (for Engine 1) etc, Parameter 1 for "idle", 0 for "cutoff"and you're there!

However, it doesn't work with me, even with the default 737, maybe I'm doing something wrong ? Here is what I do:

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9331/offsetbyte.jpg

The second solution is what you describe in this topic. However, when I press TAB, it's always the first fuel cutoff wich is switched.

I hope you may help me.

[Pete Dowson]

The first solution I found for the Fuel Control Cutoff Switches is this one:

You can do it yourself, now, by manipulating the FSUIPC offsets for the fuel valves....

Er, the fuel valves are NOT the same as the idle/cutoff levers. In a Boeing 7xx aircraft the fuel valves open automatically when you operate the starter. The fuel cutoff/idle levers are those below the trust levers on the centre pedestal.

In FS the idle/cutoff levers for jets are operated by the MIXTURE controls -- MIXTURE LEAN is cutoff, whilst MIXTURE RICH is the idle (enable) position.

The second solution is what you describe in this topic. However, when I press TAB, it's always the first fuel cutoff wich is switched.

Hmmm . But if you had read the answers in this topic more thoroughly you would have seen that the facility for the TAB test to cycle through multiple possibilities was not added until version 3.905. Interim updates are provided in the Updates announcement, as it also clearly said. It is currently to version 3.907, in fact.

Pete

[Zangdaarr]

Thanks for the precisions,

It's now working well during the macro creation, the tab test show me the right switch moving.

But when I try to assign the macro to a button, then it doesn't work again :( In fact, it works with the first button, for the first switch, not for the others.

[EDIT]Ok, here is the matter, the macros are working well.

However, if I assign via FSUIPC an action to the buttons 16 - 17 - 18, FSUIPC see them well, but there is no effect in Fs.

If I assign an action to theses buttons via Fs, it works well.

[Pete Dowson]

It's now working well during the macro creation, the tab test show me the right switch moving.

But when I try to assign the macro to a button, then it doesn't work again :( In fact, it works with the first button, for the first switch, not for the others.

If it works in the TAB test but not when assigning, you are doing something wrong. You are probably not assigning unique macro names, or similar. I cannot see what you are doing from here, but if you show me the Buttons section of the INI file, and the Macro file you made, and tell me what buttons you were assigning, i can probably tell you what you are doing wrong.

[EDIT]Ok, here is the matter, the macros are working well.

However, if I assign via FSUIPC an action to the buttons 16 - 17 - 18, FSUIPC see them well, but there is no effect in Fs.

If I assign an action to theses buttons via Fs, it works well.

Erthat doesn't make any sense! How are you assigning buttons to FSUIPC macros in FS? There are no facilities provided by Microsoft to access FSUIPC macro files! If you know the macros are working well you must be able to assign them in FSUIPC! There's no other way to use them -- unless you write a Lua plug-in or an FSUIPC program to do it!

Regards

Pete

[Zangdaarr]

Hi !

In facts I was using classic actions to test my joy, like "open ATC".

I resolved the issue by removing every fsuipc files and starting from 0, and now it's working perfectly ! I don't now why but it appeared to have a melting with my old 3.85 settings and my new ones.

Thanks a lot for this programm, I've been an user of FSUIPC unregistered version for years, and now that someone told me "with such a lot of buttons, you should programm your joy with FSUIPC", I'm just understanding how it is powerful and useful!